Is Tallow Good for Oily Skin?

Putting animal fat on oily skin sounds backwards, and plenty of people write it off for that reason. The real answer is more interesting than a flat yes or no.

Oily skin is often dehydrated skin

Here's the part that trips people up: oily and dehydrated aren't opposites. Skin can pump out oil precisely because its barrier is dried out and stressed — it's overcompensating. Strip that skin with harsh cleansers and it often gets oilier, not calmer. A gentle, barrier-supporting fat can sometimes settle that cycle down instead of feeding it.

So the honest answer is: tallow can work for some oily skin — used correctly — and it's wrong for other oily skin. No one online can tell you which you are. Your skin will.

If you're oily and want to try it

• Use less than you think. A rice-grain amount, not a pea. Tallow is rich; overloading oily skin is the fast way to hate it.
• At night, not under makeup. Let it do its work while you sleep.
• On damp skin. A whisper of balm pressed into slightly damp skin spreads far and sinks in.
• Give it two weeks, and pay attention. Calmer and less tight is good. Congested or broken out is your answer to stop.

When to skip it

If you're actively acne-prone, go slow and read our honest take on tallow for acne first — and don't pile a rich balm onto breakouts. If your skin is oily and happy, you may not need an occlusive fat at all.

The honest bottom line

Tallow isn't a natural first pick for oily skin, but "oily" doesn't automatically mean "no." Use a little, at night, patch-test, and let two weeks tell you the truth. The lighter, whipped Hers is the one to reach for if you try it.

Related: does tallow clog pores · is tallow good for your face. Statements here have not been evaluated by the FDA.